- House Service & Seniority
- Party Divisions
- Session Dates of Congress
- Saturday & Sunday Legislative Days
- Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations
- Presidents, Vice Presidents, & Coinciding Sessions of Congress
- Presidential Vetoes
- List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives
- List of Individuals Expelled, Censured, or Reprimanded in the U.S. House of Representatives
Congress Profiles
79th Congress (1945–1947)
Congressional Profile
Total Membership:
- 435 Representatives
- 2 Delegates
- 2 Resident Commissioners
Party Divisions:*
- 244 Democrats
- 189 Republicans
- 1 American-Labor
- 1 Progressive
*Party division totals are based on election day results.
- Election Statistics, 1944 [PDF]
About this object
Congress Overview
The wartime 1944 elections bolstered Democratic majorities in Congress. Franklin Roosevelt won a fourth term as President but died just months after his inauguration; Vice President Harry S. Truman succeeded him. As World War II ended, the 79th Congress (1945–1947) reinforced the country’s international role with membership in the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. It also instituted the Fulbright scholars program. Congress increased the federal government’s involvement in the economy with full employment legislation, new airports and hospitals, and atomic energy development. Congress also streamlined bureaucratic procedures as government modernized.
Historical Highlights
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Final Address to a Joint Session
- The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
- The 1946 House Elections
See more Historical Highlights.
Member Information
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, (1774–2005), Official Annotated Membership Roster by State with Vacancy and Special Election Information for the 79th Congress [PDF]
- Learn more about the House of Representatives with an interactive map
Learn more about the People of the People's House
Leadership & Officers
- Speaker of the House:
-
Sam Rayburn (D–Texas)
- Majority Leader:
-
John W. McCormack (D–Massachusetts)
- Minority Leader:
-
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R–Massachusetts )
- Democratic Whip:
-
John J. Sparkman (D–Alabama)
Robert Ramspeck (D–Georgia) 1
- Republican Whip:
-
Leslie C. Arends (R–Illinois)
- Democratic Caucus Chairman:
-
Jere Cooper (D–Tennessee)
- Republican Conference Chairman:
-
Roy O. Woodruff (R–Michigan)
- Clerk of the House:
-
South Trimble
- Sergeant at Arms:
-
Kenneth Romney
- Chaplain of the House:
-
James Shera Montgomery – Methodist
- Doorkeeper:
-
Ralph R. Roberts
- Postmaster:
-
Finis E. Scott
- Parliamentarian:
-
Lewis Deschler
To view complete lists of individuals who have served in these leadership and official positions since the 1st Congress, visit the People section
Footnotes
1Resigned from office December 31, 1945.
- For information on the current Congress, please visit the Office of the Clerk’s website.